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Category Archives: Dressing

This stuff is super easy and dang tasty! Plus it makes use of herbs that grow lush in the summer. Basil is loaded with anti-oxidants, (and is ranked number 11 on the ORAC list of antioxidant capacity!) and the cooked tomatoes provide lots of lycopene – great for the eyes and for preventing various types of cancer. The raw garlic is an anti-inflammatory and as an added bonus, the kefir has lots of beneficial bacteria that keep your belly happy and your digestive system moving! Put this on a salad for a bunch of healthy goodness! Happy Health!

* My culinary posts are meant to be guidelines, not recipes. They are different from what you would usually find in a cookbook, because I think cooking should be inspired and new every time you do it. If you like heat, add a sh**load of cayenne or jalapenos to one of my recipes. If my guideline calls for cilantro but cilantro tastes like soap to you, leave it out. When I cook, I get a buzz from the thrill of creation. The same can happen to you.

Creamy Sun-Dried and Fire-Roasted Tomato Basil Dressing

32 oz plain kefir

1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid drained

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

handful fresh basil (12-20 leaves)

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp-ish onion powder

1 tbsp-ish garlic powder

1 tbsp-ish dijon mustard

2 tbsp-ish mayo

1/4 cup veggie chicken broth powder (available at health food stores)

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Makes a bunch of bottles!

I have recently become obsessed with making my own salad dressings. As I wrote in “A Tale of Two Dressings,” many store brands are loaded with chemicals I don’t want in my body. And the more “natural” brands found in stores like Whole Foods cost up to $8 per bottle! Once I started making my own, I couldn’t stop. It’s so easy and quick, inexpensive and delicious! Plus my brain is exploding from all the possible combinations I can throw together with what’s in my pantry. Why would anyone NOT make their own dressing?

This week I found unsweetened cranberry juice in my fridge and thought it might make a good vinaigrette. I was right! It takes about ten seconds. Seriously. Normally I don’t like fruit anywhere near my salad but cranberries are tart and this dressing is savory and tangy and G.D. delish. Plus cranberries are natural detoxifiers and have antibacterial properties. Happy Health!

* My culinary posts are meant to be guidelines, not recipes. They are different from what you would usually find in a cookbook, because I think cooking should be inspired and new every time you do it. If you like heat, add a sh**load of cayenne or jalapenos to one of my recipes. If my guideline calls for cilantro but cilantro tastes like soap to you, leave it out. When I cook I get a buzz from the thrill of creation. The same can happen to you.

Cranberry Vinaigrette

1/3 ish cup unsweetened cranberry juice (and the unsweetened is very important as the sweetened type adds all kinds of nasty sugars)

1/3 ish cup vinegar (I used rice vinegar but that’s only because I didn’t have any balsamic or red wine vinegar. Use what you like or whatever is in your pantry!)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

however much garlic powder tastes good to you

dash salt

bit of fresh cracked black pepper

Mix everything up in a bottle and pour over a yummy salad! Next time I am going to try this with unsweetened blueberry juice in place of the cranberry….

So my favorite salad dressing in the world is ranch. But I hate all the MSG, disodium phosphate and artificial flavors found in store bought brands like Hidden Valley. Isn’t ranch supposed to be something like cream, garlic and black pepper? Can’t I just whip this up at home with a little more flavor and a little less disodium guanylate? As it turns out, yes, and it’s quite simple! I made my first batch of ranch a few months ago, with a base of yogurt and light mayo, and it was the best ranch I have ever tasted in my life ever! I wanted to drink it. Ok, I did drink it. Just a little… Then two days later I had my annual check up with my doctor and she told me I had to give up dairy to help with my psoriasis. Damn! Back to the drawing board. So I came up with a second non-dairy recipe guideline that can also be made vegan if that’s what floats your boat. Both guidelines are below. I prefer the dairy version for taste, but the non-dairy version is delicious as well. And if dairy makes your belly bubble or your skin itch, the second version is a great option. Happy Health!

* My culinary posts are meant to be guidelines, not recipes. They are different from what you would usually find in a cookbook, because I think cooking should be inspired and new every time you do it. If you like heat, add a sh**load of cayenne or jalapenos to one of my recipes. If my guideline calls for cilantro but cilantro tastes like soap to you, leave it out. When I cook I get a buzz from the thrill of creation. The same can happen to you.

Peppercorn Ranch Dressing (Dairy Version)

1 cup or so plain full fat yogurt (“The European Style” found at Trader Joe’s is reportedly sourced from Straus Creamery at half the price. Whether it is or isn’t, it’s freakin delish and the best brand to use if you have a Trader Joe’s near you.)

¼- ½ cup light mayo

½ to a whole raw onion

tablespoon-ish of whatever prepared mustard you fancy

however much cracked peppercorn tastes good to you

dash Worcestershire sauce

a tsp or two apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tsp garlic powder or more if you love garlic

veggie chicken broth powder I get from the Whole Foods bulk section (or you can use chicken stock. Or veggie stock. Or miso paste. Or whatever umami kick you like.)

Blend everything in a food processor or blender and drink….I mean eat up!

Peppercorn Ranch Dressing (Non-Dairy Version)

Substitute tofu for the yogurt (silken preferably.) And either omit the Parmesan cheese or replace with non-dairy cheese of your liking. Everything else stays the same.

To make it vegan, omit the Worcestershire sauce and replace with a little more vinegar or lemon. Replace the mayo with Vegenaise.